Saturday, May 11, 2013

In case there was any doubt, Alfred Morris is still awesome

In case you were wondering that first-year success would change Alfred Morris, you don't have to worry. He's still smart, humble, and willing to put in the necessary hard work.

In a recent interview with Shutdown Corner's Doug Farrar, Morris drops plenty of knowledge, including his advice to this year's rookie class, his willingness to learn and improve every day, how grateful he is that Mike Shanahan gave him the opportunity to compete for the job and eventually start, and some nuggets on Robert Griffin's III's progress. Here's a sample:

"I'm going to run hard and give you 100 percent on every play because every play could be my last, but I left a lot of yards on the field last year. Looking back on film, a lot of it was my aiming points in certain runs, or I was too tight and I couldn't get outside. Being more patient with my cutbacks -- I tended to cut back too soon. I was blessed, and I definitely don't take it for granted. Last year's behind me -- I'm beyond that."

I can't remember a single example of Morris not saying the "right thing" or giving a thoughtful, levelheaded response to any question. He's sort of like Griffin when he was first drafted by the team and gave countless flawless interviews, except RGIII is now saying things like "In a land of freedom we are held hostage by the tyranny of political correctness" on Twitter. If Morris ever said something like that, I think my head would explode. Then again, when you're an NFL quarterback and a superstar athlete, I guess everything you do or say is news. No pressure, no diamonds, and all that.

Anyway, Griffin is fantastic and is insanely talented, but I prefer the previously unheralded Morris. Not only is he a powerful and skilled running back, but he's still holding onto his 1991 Mazda for dear life: "It's in the shop right now -- just a little maintenance on the radiator when the season ended, and I'm getting the axle fixed. . . . I know that eventually, I'll have to park it, but I want to keep it as long as possible. I know people call me cheap, but I'm being smart. There's no reason to go out there and waste money -- instead of spending that on me, I can help bless somebody else."